Savin' Me
by Harlequin99
Summary: Before Reyad's murder,when Yelena is asked to participate in experiments. Valek is suspicious of real reason for Brazell's orphanage, and checks the place out, bumping into Yelena and uncovering Brazell's plan. Will they stop him before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

**Yes I'm starting yet another story when I really should be updating the rest. But don't worry, I'm working on it! And I've had this idea for a little while now and I've finally started to write it however I'm finding it very hard as I have no idea what it was like for Yelena at the orphanage as it's only described in short flashbacks in the book, but never mind, bear with me! **

**For those of you reading Valek's Poison Study, the chapter is with my beta at the mo so I will be updating shortly, and Carmel Manor I seemed to have deleted chapter 2 so will have to write that again, and I will try and update the rest soon. **

**The title isn't very imaginative, but I'm open for suggestions (: **

**Disclaimer: the characters, and part of the plot belong to Maria V Snyder. **

**Anyways, enjoy and let me know what you think via reviews! **

**Harlequin x  
**

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Yelena's POV

I was woken by May jumping on my bed.

"Yelena! Wake up Yelena!" she shouted in my ear, "Yelena!"

"What?" I grumbled as I rolled over, thinking she just wanted me to braid her hair again.

"Brazell wants to see you in his office, he says it's urgent." She explained.

This time I sat up immediately. Why does he want to see me? I reviewed the last few days in my mind, hoping for a clue as to what I could have possibly done wrong.

My heart raced on the way to Brazell's office as my mind sorted through the different possibilities.

I hadn't sneaked out, stolen anything or upset anyone, so why did he want to see me so urgently? I very rarely get sent to his office on my own. And those times I had got into trouble, but I haven't done anything this time. Unless someone has set me up.

Arriving at his door, I stalled for a moment before knocking on the door.

"Come in" I shuddered slightly when hearing his deep, penetrating voice. I hope he isn't angry with me.

I opened the door and hesitated at the entrance of his office while he looked at me. I was in such a rush to get to his office, that I forgot to stop off at the baths to brush my hair, I felt myself begin to blush in embarrassment.

He gestured to the seat opposite him. I walked towards it cautiously and perched on the edge.

"Yelena," he began. "I have an exciting opportunity for you, Yelena. You are the first of orphans that I have asked because you are my favourite, and by far the best."

I felt like I had been slapped in the face. I was shocked that he would say such a thing about me. I don't know what I have done to deserve it, but I couldn't suppress a smile.

"I have been asked to conduct a few experiments in my labs. Reyad happily agreed to help, and now we just need you, as the best child in my orphanage, to agree to assist us with these important tests. Can you prove me right?" he asked.

Without hesitating, I answered "Yes, Sir. I'd be happy to."

I didn't realise that this was going to be the biggest mistake I have made in my life.

He smiled at me, I felt warmth spread through my body, I was helping General Brazell, the man who saved me and my 'siblings'. He took us in when we were left on the streets after the take over, he housed and fed us, and I felt I owed him that much.

"I'm glad that you have agreed to help me and my son. I will inform him of the good news, and we will start the tests tomorrow." He dismissed me.

I left his office quickly. I couldn't believe what had just happened in the past ten minutes.

I had just agreed to participate in scientific experiments for Brazell and Rand, because they thought me to be the best child in their orphanage.

As I thought this through, the only thing the registered was that they thought I was the best orphan. I'm hardly a vain person, but after hearing that, I have to admit I was feeling a little flattered.

But my gut was saying otherwise. What if Brazell is tricking me? Just saying what I want to hear so I'd agree to help him in his experiments. And if it is true, then it worked.

I shoved these thoughts from my mind as I set out for breakfast, my stomach rumbled in agreement


	2. Chapter 2

**First of all, I'd like to appologise for taking like forever to update this and my other stories, I'm going to try to update them very soon and more frequently but I'm going to college next week so I'll have even more work to do :/ But i'll try my hardest. **

**I'd also like to say sorry for those reading Valek's Poison Study, my beta is very busy at the moment but she'll send me the next chapter as soon as she can so I can update very soon (: I'm really sorry for the wait.  
**

**I'd like to say thank you to my beta for this chapter, KaAaArl, you've done a great job with this. **

**Please review and let me know what you think. **

**Harlequin x **

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It has been two years since Brazell asked me to participate in his 'experiments'. Accepting was the biggest mistake of my short life. I had thought, in the beginning, that I would be paying him back for his generosity – taking in and caring for me and my siblings in the orphanage. And I have, in a way. I just couldn't get over how naïve I had been.

The man I had respected and idolised turned into a monster I hated in a simple matter of days.

At first, the tests were harmless. But they soon turned into methods of torture rather than experiments in the name of science.

Because of his tests, the General has forbidden me to attend the fire festival – which was coming up next week. But I've been training in anticipation all year for this moment. I wasn't going to let it pass me by just because of instructions given by the devil himself – not that I wasn't afraid of what would come afterwards, I was just planning to deal with it when the time came. Nothing is going to stop me from performing. Acrobatics was the only thing that has kept me going during the last two agonizing years. When I jumped; the feeling of the wind against my skin was exhilarating and when I flipped, adrenaline pulsed through my veins. It made me feel alive at the very least.

xxxxx

The night of the festival had finally arrived. I had gotten ready in hiding and waited until dark before slipping out and running at full speed to the acrobatic tent. I hoped I got there in time. I wasn't risking all this just to miss my performance time.

I ran in with ten minutes to spare. Doing the necessary stretches, I watched the crowd from behind the flap that led to the backstage area; nerves were fluttering around my stomach, making me feel unnecessary stress and anxiety. I had perfected the routine countless times before this night, although Reyad's and his father's tests left me little spare time and I was often injured or too exhausted to practise. Despite this, my confidence could not be overridden by a single obstacle. I had only one trickier airborne summersault and I was positive that I could pull it off.

The ten minute wait until my turn passed with an agonizing slowness as my nerves became almost unbearable. But as I twirled through the air and landed my first flip, my earlier worries quickly fled as I focussed solely on my routine.

Applause rang out as I finished the final tumble. I bowed before the judges and beamed when gave me the well worked foraward. I was unbelievingly happy and proud. It was the first thing that I had ever won and I knew that I would treasure it for the rest of my life. It was beautiful, and held a power that I couldn't explain.

But my good mood shattered as soon as I spotted Reyad in the audience. Fear spread through me and I fled through the tent's back entrance at the first chance I got. I knew I had to hide the amulet. I couldn't let either him or Brazell get their filthy hands on it. They would destroy it and torment me with it for as long as I lived. I knew that they would punish me severely for my disobedience – coming to the festival without permission. I could already taste and feel the pain that was yet to come as I clawed at the ground with my hands.

After successfully hiding the amulet, I stomped on the ground, disguising any sign of it being there, my only thought being that I couldn't let them take it – no matter what.

"Not the best hiding place, wouldn't you agree?" a man's voice said from behind me.

I spun around quickly, thinking it was Reyad. I wasn't sure whether to be scared or relieved that it wasn't him. With shoulder length black curly hair and bright blue eyes, I recognised this man from the audience. In the back of my mind, I wondered why he followed me out here, but I knew better than to ask.

I stepped back away from him in alarm. "I can't let them find it," I muttered quietly – to myself or to him, I had no idea. I spoke quietly because I was used to not being allowed to speak to anyone during my time with Brazell and his son. I covered my mouth realising what I had said. I hoped that he hadn't heard it but his question cut off any of my meagre hopes.

"Let who find it?" he asked sharply.

Looking around I said quickly, "Nobody, I have to go." I turned and ran back into the tent before he could follow me. I had to go back to Reyad. He'd be waiting for me and hiding wouldn't keep him away. Running away from my problems wouldn't solve them; they would just hit me that much harder later on.

As I predicted, Reyad spotted me almost immediately and dragged me back to the manor.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'd just like to say how really sorry I am for the slow updates on practically all of my stories, I feel so bad! But good news is that I've got a week off, so i'll be spending it all on updating my stories and working on my art for poison study. **

**In my haste to update this as soon as poss, my beta hasn't edited this yet, so there will most likely be loads of mistakes, but please don't be too harsh! xD I'll put the beta'd version up sometime next week :) **

**I hope you like this, it went very differently to what I first predicted then I started this story, but I like how it's turned out. Please review and let me know what you think! **

**Harlequin x  
**

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As I predicted, Reyad and Brazell were furious. So much in fact, that Brazell disowned me, letting Reyad do whatever he wanted with me.

Fear shot down my spine like fire. I knew Reyad had been holding back the past few weeks due to Brazell, and even then, the torture was almost unbearable. Now it will be much worse.

I could almost feel the cold steel of the chains digging into my wrists as hot blades cut into my skin. I shuddered as Reyad dragged me to his suite where I have been living the past year and a half.

Surprisingly, Reyad just shoved me into my small dark room and slammed the door shut. The soft click of the lock ringing through my "room," it didn't take me long to realise that he was making me sweat it out, prolonging the torture to make my fear increase and the punishment worse.

As I thought over the past few hours, I realised that even if I knew that I would get caught and what Brazell would do, I still would have gone to the fire festival. Swirling through the air as I worked through my routine, I felt alive for the first time in years. And even though I now face an uncertain future, I still wouldn't change what I did.

Alone in the darkness, my thoughts flashed back to the man at the fire festival. Even in the dim light of the festival. Why did he follow me out of the tent? And why was he so interested in what I had said?

As millions of questions swirled through my mind, I fell into a restless sleep, only to be woken up an hour before dawn by Reyad slamming me against the wall.

In the two years that I have been taking part in Brazell's "Experiments," and how torture, I rarely got any sleep, and when I did I was always woken up in the most painful of ways. Reyad didn't like it if I was asleep when he was awake, saying I was lazy and I would be punished for sleeping on the "job."

As my back ached from the force of being slammed against the hard wall, I knew what was coming next. Often when Brazell was away Reyad would do whatever he pleased, often resulting in my chained and naked performing acrobatic routines in front of his friends. I don't know how or why they were amused by it but their deep laughter bellowed long after Reyad had whipped me. I could still feel the stinging pain as the whip cut into my back.

I was forced back to the present as Reyad slapped me hard across the face. Dragging me into his room by my hair, he pushed me onto his bed and stripped me of my clothes.

I knew what was coming next, even though he had never done this before. Fear flooded through my body at the unknown pain I was going to face. I had heard stories from Kayla, a girl from the orphanage when she was raped by one of Brazell's blacksmiths, she had told me how painful and horrible it was. And even though Brazell claimed to have sent him to the dungeons, I'm sure now that he just transferred him to another district.

Reyad shoved a thick black book into my hands and told me to read it. As I flicked through the pages I saw that every page was full, recording every single accusation he had against me and how I would be punished for them.

I had never seen this book before, usually, he would tell me my punishments. But after reading the first page I knew that he had planned it from the very first day he had met me, two whole years ago.

As I looked up at him, he smirked when seeing fear uncontrollably spread across my face. No matter how hard I tried to mask my emotions, he always read me like an open book.

"We'll start with the punishment on page one tonight," he purred with anticipation as he walked eagerly to his "toy" chest, pulling out chains and other weapons of torture.

His "journal" described how I had failed to call him 'sir' the first time we met, so I would assume a submissive position on my hands and knees and when I would be whipped, with each lash I would respond with "More, sir, please." And during the following rape, I would address him as sir, and beg him to continue my punishment.

I didn't even dare to read the next page as his journal slipped from my paralyzed hands. I flung myself over the bed, intent on finding the knife I had hidden there months ago but have been too afraid to use it. But Reyad, assuming that I was trying to escape, forced to the ground and chained my hands behind my neck.

The anticipation was worse than the actual punishment. But I played my part, knowing that if I refused, I would only enrage him further.

When the horror finally ceased, blood covered my back and stung from the lacerations from the whip, and blood coated the inside of my legs and was soaking into the sheets below me. Reyad remained hovering over me. His hands either side of my head, preventing my escape. I remembered that the knife is now within my reach, and although I considered suicide, Reyad's words quickly changed my mind.

"I guess I'll have to start a new journal. We'll be training a new girl now that you've failed."

I saw red, I couldn't let him torture another girl from the orphanage, I didn't want them to suffer like I did.

"Up on your knees. Time to page two." He sat up, giving me space to move, however I shouted out "No! I won't!" My sudden outburst stunned him for a moment, giving me the opportunity to reach behind me for the knife, however before I could dig it into his skin like he often did to me, he collapsed onto the bed next to me, almost falling on top of me. I saw blood quickly soaking me and the sheets. A knife dug into his back.

Realising my knife was still in my hand. I snapped my head up and saw the man from the fire festival.

Even though his face and body resembled a stone statue, his eyes showed his fury. The flashing blue eyes I saw at the festival were replaced by molten lava beneath an icy crust.

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**Please review! All signed reviews will get a sneak peak of the next chapter! :):):)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey Y'all! **

**So sorry it's taken so long for me to update this story (and all of my others) but I hope you enjoy this :D **

**This chapter is dedicated to gwidlet - don't worry I haven't forgotten! ;) **

**Another HUGE thanks to my beta Karl! You've done such a great job at this :D **

**Merry Christmas and New Year, hope you all have a great time :D I'm going to try my hardest to update all my other stories before the end of this year - no promises though :) **

**Harlequin x  
**

* * *

I closed my eyes, waiting for the same quick death as Reyad, hoping that the man would kill me painlessly and not make me suffer.

What seemed like hours later, a cold, soft fabric was draped over my recently brutalized body. Shocked, I opened my eyes to see the man trying to avert his gaze from my naked form as he placed a clean sheet, which he must have gotten from Reyad's closet, over me. I thought I saw an almost inexistent blush wash over his cheek bones, but it was gone so quickly I questioned whether it had even been there in the first place.

I knew I should have felt embarrassed that he had seen me naked and had probably witnessed –or at least heard my screams – as Reyad raped me. But after the trauma and pain caused by Reyad, I had gone far beyond the point to care. Right now, he hadn't hurt me yet, and that was all it took for me to trust him, for the moment. As sharp pains continually spread across my lower body, all I could think about was finding a position to alleviate them. Not caring if the man was still here or not, I curled into a ball and shut my eyes.

I felt a slight prick on my neck, I opened my eyes but I didn't have the energy to find out what it was. Within seconds my eyelids started to feel heavier and I succumbed to the darkness. Glad that the man had given me a painless death, I felt a small smile stretch across my lips.

_I ran through the corridors of Brazell's manor house. __Adrenaline__ pulsed through my veins as the monster chasing me __started to catch up__. His heavy footsteps __got__ closer and closer __as the seconds ticked by__. _

"_You can't run forever__,__" Reyad's booming voice rang through my mind. _

_All of __a__ sudden, the ground disappeared from underneath me. I fell heavily onto the hard stone floor of Reyad's __'__laboratory__'__. Torture __equipment__–__ chains and manacles __–__ glinted in the red light. _

"_You may have killed me. But you can never __completely__ get rid of me Yelena." The red light shone from underneath him, casting evil shadows over the sharp planes of his face as he smirked at me. __"I will always be a part of you, no matter where you go or who you meet. I will make sure they stay away."_

_And then I was on the bed again, Reyad above me. I was scared and the pain between my legs had returned. It grew in intensity until I was forced to open my eyes to get away from it._

Bright light stabbed at my eyes and, as they adjusted to the heat of it, I noticed a man crouching near a small fire. Even though his back was to me, I recognized him as the same one from earlier. Fear shot through me as images of him killing Reyad flashed through my mind. A quiet whimper escaped my lips and I quickly pressed my hand over my mouth to suppress it. But it was too late. Hearing the noise, he turned around.

"Good. You're awake." He grabbed something off the fire and handed it to me. It took me a moment to realise it was a piece of meat. "Eat. You need your strength." What would I need my strength for? Wasn't he going to kill me? Why hadn't he yet?

Cautiously, I took the meat from him, our hands touched for a moment and I shivered. I didn't even want to think about being close to a man right now. Especially after what Reyad had showed me they could do to hurt you. If the man noticed, he didn't say anything as he turned back to the fire.

I didn't know who this man was, or what he wanted with me. After Reyad's abuse, I only assumed the worse. I had hoped that he would have killed me earlier, than make me wait for my fate. I hoped he didn't enjoy playing with his prey before he took it down. I shuddered.

That's what I couldn't understand. Why did he kill Reyad? Surely it wasn't just because he had raped me. The man had only met me at the fire festival – if you could even call it a meeting – it wasn't as if he actually cared for my well-being. There had to be another reason. After all, killing General Brazell's only son Reyad would deem him execution, why risk all that for me?

Shaking off any more thoughts on the matter, I sniffed the meat he had given me. I didn't realize how ravenous I was until the sweet smell caught my senses. I didn't hesitate to think if it was tainted or not before I devoured the lot like a starved man given his first plate of food in years.

My eyes followed the man as he stood up from the fire and walked over to his bag leaning against a fallen tree branch. He pulled out some clothes before walking back to me and throwing them down in front of me.

I looked down at myself and realised that I was still covered by the sheet from last night – nothing else underneath. A faint blush warmed my cheeks as I remembered that he had seen me undressed. Only now did I feel self-conscious as I gingerly pulled the clothes on while he was busy extinguishing the fire.

My hearted was beating double time as he walked towards me, reaching out his hand, I flinched as I waited for the blow I knew was about to come. Instead he grabbed my elbow, pulling me to my feet. I wobbled unsteadily as he pulled me up. The sharp pain that shot across my lower abdomen and between my legs was so intense that I nearly fell back down again, if it wasn't for his arm that wrapped around my waist to keep me upright.

"I know it hurts, just hold on for now," he said quietly. It was the first thing he said to me that suggested that he might have any emotions at all. He looked at me in concern until I regained my balance, before grabbing my elbow again and leading me out of the clearing and into the forest.

He let go of me and it wasn't long before I was starting to drag behind. The sharp pain from earlier hadn't gone completely and it was replaced by a numb pain, which gradually began to slow down my pace.

It didn't take him a long time to notice that I wasn't walking beside him anymore. Turning around, he watched as I slowly limped to him. I began to walk past him, when he grabbed my shoulder and spun me around.

I closed my eyes, waiting for the punishment I would get for walking at such a slow pace. I would probably be along the lines of a cane on the back of my legs – resulting in me lagging behind even more. My eyes shot open in surprise as the ground disappeared from underneath my feet. It took me a while to realise that he was carrying me bridal style. The only view I had was his chest and underneath his chin.

"I can walk, you know." I told him before I could stop myself. I hated that he treated me like some kind of invalid. But then again, it was nice to be so close to someone who wasn't ready to hurt me for no reason.

"I know you can, but I want to get there before dawn." His response was short, but it was to be expected, as I had barely said anything myself all night.

I huffed in annoyance before I closed my eyes and gave into my exhaustion. It wasn't a long time before the rhythmic swaying of his walk lulled me to sleep. My last thought was wondering where I would wake up next.


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm SO SORRY it's taken so long to update! I honestly lost track of the time, I was checking over my stories a few days ago and couldn't believe I hadn't updated this story since last year! I feel so bad :( **

**So here it is! Huge thanks for Karl for editing this for me, and in a few hours as well! =D **

**Valek's Interview - those of you who's read Valek's Poison Study, would know what I'm on about. Well, It's going to be posted onto mine and Karl's blog very soon - if it hasn't already. The link is on my profile, so go check it out =D **

**Chapter 24 of VPS has been written, it's now with my beta, so as soon as she sends it back to me I'll upload =D **

**Hope you enjoy, don't forget to review please xD **

**Harlequin x =)**

* * *

Bright light stabbed at my eyes and I shut them tight, trying to block out the stabbing pain. I bit my lip to stop the whimper from escaping my lips as I recalled what happened over the past few days.

The last thing I remembered is walking behind that man. So how had I ended up here? I must have fallen asleep, but I didn't remember falling or lying down. Maybe he had drugged me again? I wouldn't put it past him.

Images of him scooping me up in his arms and carrying me flashed through my mind. Did he really do that? More importantly, why did I let a man who I've only just met—a murderer no less—carry me to goodness knows where?

No matter how exhausted I was, nothing could excuse what I had done. How stupid I had been. Just because he killed Reyad didn't mean that I could trust him. _He's a man. He's just the same as the rest of them. Vermin. _I thought bitterly.

I opened my eyes. The light still burned them, but I ignored the pain now. I needed to get out of here. And fast.

I looked around both curiously and anxiously. I was on a large bed in a room cluttered with books, rocks, black statues and weapons. I shivered as the sunlight reflected off one of the dangerous looking knives he had left on the table.

_I wonder how many people he's killed with th__ose__._

I suddenly realized that this must be his bedroom. _I'm in his bed._ That thought sent a shiver of fear down my spine. No. This was how it had begun with Reyad.

Without hesitating, I flung the sheets off of my body and swung out of bed. I was relieved that I was still in the clothes I had been wearing before, and he hadn't bothered to undress me. He had taken my boots off though, and the stone floor felt freezing beneath my bare feet, but at least it helped my tired and confused mind to focus.

I had no idea where he'd gone, but he couldn't be too far from here, so I needed to move fast before it would be too late. He may have been nice to me so far, but there's nothing stopping him from turning into _him_ once he gets the chance.

However, as soon as I stood up, a searing pain shot through my abdomen. I bit down onto my cheek to stay quiet and fell back onto the bed in agony. I waited a few minutes for the pain to pass before standing up again, slower this time, but the pain returned even worse this time round and I couldn't stop the strangled whimper from escaping my lips.

The door opened then and he walked in with a tray in his hands. He smiled slightly. "Good you're awake. I was beginning to worry."

But when he saw my expression he frowned before rushing over. Placing the tray on the messy table beside me and balancing it precariously on a pile of books and papers. I watched as it wobbled slightly, trying to distract myself from the pain that was now beginning to subside, not by much though. Surprisingly, the tray of food didn't topple over, no matter how much I wanted to see it crashing to the floor.

"What's wrong?" although the question was supposed to be comforting, there was no worry or gentleness in his voice. If he did worry as he said he did, he certainly didn't show it, unless this was part of his ploy to gain my trust.

"My stomach," I managed to get out, between gasps.

His eyes traveled to my hands resting on my lower abdomen to the sheets pulled back around me. It didn't take him long to realize what I had been trying to do.

"You stupid girl. You aren't supposed to get out of bed," he chastised me and I flinched as his hand came closer, almost touching me. I braced myself for the blow, but none came. I blinked up at him in shock as he pulled the sheets back around me. If he noticed my odd reaction, he didn't say anything once again.

"You think you can sit up?" he asked me. The pain had almost passed now, so I nodded and he grasped my arms causing me to freeze in shock. He didn't hit me or shake me though; he just slowly pulled me into a sitting position, so my back leant against a pillow that had been propped up on the headboard.

He placed the tray on my lap and gestured to the white cup filled to the brim with what looked like tea. "Drink. I got it from the medic, it should help."

I hesitated for a few seconds before reaching out and grasping the warm mug in my hands. I did worry briefly that he might have poisoned it, but if he wanted me dead, he had had more than plenty chances to do so already and he hadn't. _Yet_, my mind added.

I took a small sip, and cringed at the bitter, medical taste. I quickly lowered the cup from my mouth, I was about to set it on the tray when he pushed it back towards me.

"Drink," he ordered.

I sighed, but took another sip. It still tasted horrible, but I tried to drink as much as I could. When it was almost empty, I placed it on the tray.

"Happy now?" I looked up at him.

I don't know where I got my boldness from. I was certainly never like this with Reyad, and I'd learned the hard way never to talk back or make sarcastic comments of any kind. But it was strangely different with this man, although he had a much more intimidating aura to him then _he _had, and was an assassin on top of that. At least I think he's an assassin, but there's no other explanation for him killing Reyad so effortlessly – like he had done it hundreds of times before. I shivered slightly.

He just snorted at my comment and muttered under his breath about being stubborn. I lied back down as drowsiness washed over me. There must have been sleeping pills or something in that rancid drink, I thought as I gave into the fatigue and closed my eyes to welcome the darkness.

I woke up to a weird grinding noise. He wasn't in the room and it was starting to get dark. _Had I really been asleep that long?_I wondered.

The grinding noise started again and I tossed the covers back, desperate to know what the hell it was and where it was coming from. It sounded like one of Reyad's torture devices.

The floor felt even colder beneath my feet now, and I braced myself for the pain as I pushed myself off the bed. The pain came, but not nearly as bad as before. It had now been reduced to a dull ache. I sighed in relief and started to walk slowly to the door. When I turned the handle, I half expected it to be locked—Reyad had never left me alone in an unlocked room—but it turned effortlessly and I managed to pull the door open easily.

I only opened the door a few inches, and peered out down the dark hallway. I couldn't see him anywhere, so I opened the door wider and stepped out. There were several doors either side of me as I walked passed, but I made no move to open them. I didn't want to see him yet, nor did I want to get punished for snooping.

So, I slowly made my way down the long hallway, and it ended at a small sitting room. It was similar to his bedroom, with clutter everywhere. Books were stacked up precariously, some lay in heaps where they had toppled over and he had made no effort to pick them up.

There were gray stones and black statues scattered around, but I sighed in relief when there were no weapons lying about. That's one good thing at least. I picked up one of the statues on the table next to me. It was a small eagle getting ready to fly off. I turned it around in the dimming sunlight, and silver streaks sparkled in the sun like stars against the night sky. It was beautiful, and I gently put it down to admire the other statues littered about the room.

The grinding noise started again and I almost dropped the statue I was holding. I quickly put it down, more afraid of breaking it than getting caught. Or worse, getting caught once it was broken. The noise seemed closer this time, coming from the room next to me. My mind was shouting at me to walk down the stairs to my right and get away from here while I still had the chance.

Curiosity got the better of me and I found myself walking to the door, the sound even louder now. I hesitated slightly, wondering if I should knock, even if I doubted he could hear me over that noise. I knocked on the door anyway, just in case he asked, and let myself in quietly when I got no answer.

The room wasn't as big as his bedroom, and it was completely empty apart from a long table at the back and rocks lined up on the floor against the walls. But without the clutter and untidiness of the other rooms, it gave the illusion it was much bigger than it actually was.

His back was too me, sitting at the table at the back of the room. He was grinding one of those rocks on a solid wheel, spinning around expertly.

It suddenly occurred to me that he was the one who carved the statues around here. It shocked me far more than it should have. But he did kill Reyad in front of me and didn't seem to regret it or show any compassion at all. And with the number of weapons in his bedroom, he must kill a lot of people. Yet, he was skilled and patient enough to carve these beautiful statues out of dull and ugly rocks. I expected him to be plotting his next kill, not _this._

But I couldn't help but watch him as he carved. I don't know how long I stood there, watching the boring rock turn into a beautiful black statue, but when he spoke it shocked me out of my thoughts.

"I know you're standing behind me."

"I…I wondered what the noise was." I mumbled weakly.

"You shouldn't even be out of bed." He said sternly.

"Sorry Sir," I apologized quickly. He hadn't punished me yet for my disobedience of his prior orders, but that didn't mean he wouldn't start now.

He turned around then, looking at me with a slight shocked expression before he covered it up with the expressionless mask he often wore. I briefly wondered what other emotions he hid underneath his cold exterior. Why did he even need to cover them up?

"Valek." His deep voice shook me out of my thoughts and I realized I had been staring at him. "Call me Valek."

I took an automatic, and quite necessary, step back. _He_ was _Valek?_

_He_ was the master assassin and chief of security for the Commander, also the most feared man in all of Ixia, _and_ Sitia. He'd killed hundreds of people, including the King and his family. He now worked for Commander Ambrose, killing Magicians and any people bold enough to speak against them.

How had I not realized it before? He was curious when I was burying the fire amulet at the fire festival, and when I'd let slip I didn't want _him_ to find it, he wanted to know who. And then he killed Reyad without a blink of regret.

He must have noticed my fear as he said tiredly, "I'm not going to kill you." This was an old conversation for him. He probably had to say that loads of times before.

I sighed in relief but questioned him anyway. "How can I believe you?"

"You're alive now aren't you?" was his quick reply. I realized he must be telling the truth, after all, he _wa__s_ a master assassin. He could kill me in a blink of an eye if he wanted to.

"Now go back to bed and don't get out until I tell you too. Understand?"

I nodded and turned around quickly, leaving the room and shutting the door behind me. I hated being ordered around, but now that I knew who he was and what he was capable of, I didn't dare disobey him. He hadn't punished or hurt me yet, so I was not going to push my luck any further.

With a sigh, I climbed back into bed, getting under the warm covers. I hadn't realized how much energy this little escapade had sucked out of me and, in less than a minute, I was back to sleep.


End file.
